The present invention relates to a recording medium reproducing apparatus for use in a motor vehicle, particularly to a flap body opening/closing mechanism for use in the recording medium reproducing apparatus.
As well known, a recording medium reproducing apparatus has an elongated opening (formed on a front panel of an apparatus main body) allowing insertion of a recording medium such as a CD (compact disc) and an MD (mini disc). Such an elongated opening may be closed or opened by a flap body when it is attached to or detached from the apparatus main body. If a flap body is also provided with a display section and a button operating section, such a flap body may also be referred to as operation flap.
When a user wants to reproduce a recording medium with the use of the above described reproducing apparatus, the flap body is opened so as to expose the elongated opening formed on the front panel of the apparatus main body. Then, a recording medium such as a CD is inserted through the elongated opening into the apparatus main body, so that the CD is automatically loaded on to a reproducing position. Thus, the loaded CD may be reproduced by operating the buttons on the front surface of the flap body.
In fact, the flap body of the reproducing apparatus may be opened or closed, either automatically with the use of a motor, or manually by making use of an empty weight of the flap body itself.
If the flap body of the reproducing apparatus is opened or closed with the use of a driving force produced by a motor, the opening/closing operation may be performed in a smooth manner. However, such kind of an automatic opening/closing operation will cause a reproducing apparatus to have a complex internal structure and increased parts, hence increasing a production cost.
Moreover, if a flap body is made detachable from the apparatus main body so that a user can carry it away when he or she leaves his or her vehicle, the reproducing apparatus with its flap body removed will cause people to feel that the reproducing apparatus as a whole has been removed from the vehicle, thereby providing an effect of preventing a possible theft. However, such a detachable type flap body will cause the reproducing apparatus as a whole to become more complex, hence bringing about a further increase in the manufacturing cost.
On the other hand, if a flap body of a reproducing apparatus is opened or closed manually by making use of an empty weight of the flap body itself, it is allowed to have a simple structure such as a pressure attachment structure capable of effecting an easy opening/closing of the flap body. The manually operable structure is favourable in manufacturing a reproducing device at a low cost. However, since an initial flap opening speed using a spring is different from its middle period speed using an empty weight, it is difficult to open the flap body in a smooth manner, hence bring about an uncomfortable feeling when opening and closing the flap body.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved low-cost reproducing apparatus having a flap body (operation flap) which can be smoothly opened and closed in a manual operation and can be easily removed from the apparatus main body, so as to solve the above-mentioned problems peculiar to the above-discussed prior arts.
According to the present invention, there is provided a recording medium reproducing apparatus, comprising: an apparatus main body having a recording medium insertion opening; a flap body adapted to be attached to the apparatus main body so as to close the insertion opening; a first gear formed on the flap body, said first gear being coaxial with pivotal shafts of the flap body; a second gear provided in the apparatus main body and engageable with the first gear formed on the flap body; an arm member protruding from the front side of the apparatus main body, said arm member being retractable into the apparatus main body upon being pressed by the flap body when the flap body is closed on the apparatus main body; an interlock mechanism for simultaneously effecting the protrusion or retraction of the arm member and the rotation of the second gear provided in the apparatus main body; a first urging means for urging the interlock mechanism so as to cause the arm member to outwardly project to its fully projected position.
In one aspect of the present invention, the interlock mechanism comprises: the arm member; said second gear and a third gear coaxial with the second gear; a fourth gear which is engaged with the third gear and is urged by the first urging means in its circumferential direction; a projection formed on one side of the fourth gear; an engaging portion formed on the arm member for engaging the projection of the fourth gear.
In another aspect of the present invention, the first urging means is a coiled spring capable of urging the fourth gear in its rotational direction.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the apparatus main body comprises a pair of clamping members each capable of slidably clamping a pivotal shaft of the flap body by virtue of a second urging means provided within the apparatus main body.
In a still further aspect of the present invention, one end of each clamping member is pivotably supported on the interlock mechanism, the other end of the clamping member is pressed by the second urging means and acts as a free end; a pair of fixed protruding members are formed on the front side of the apparatus main body; the pivotal shafts of the flap body are slid,ably clamped between the fixed protruding members and the clamping members.
In one more aspect of the present invention, the second urging means is a coiled spring.
The above objects and features of the present invention will become better understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.